


By your side

by Wexuji



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Help, How Do I Tag, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-05-05 22:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14627904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wexuji/pseuds/Wexuji
Summary: When he regained consciousness his mind was filled with an overwhelming flurry of pictures and impressions and emotions. He didn’t know where they come from, nor what they were about but they made his heart throb and his throat narrow, made him feel like he would never be complete again because they made him feel such a strong longing –His vision blacked out for a second and as sudden as it had come, it was over. There was something wet and hot running down his cheeks. He touched it with still shaking fingers and examined the liquid.“Tears?”  He thought, astonished.  “Why am I crying?”





	1. Chapter 1

_Finally, it was over._

_The fell dragon let out one last horrendous screech before slowly collapsing into itself. Grima was dissolving – and so was Robin._

_He felt oddly at peace._

_Clouds drifted past them, swiftly, in a sky filled with golden light and time seemed to stand still. All noise vanished but the howling of the wind._

_The future was safe now and Robin laughed._

_He turned around to face Chrom, his eyes filled with tenderness and love._

_“Thank you for everything” he said, slowly and carefully, savoring each syllable that came over his lips, “Tell the others…my last thoughts were of them…”_

_“May we meet again… in a better life…”_

* * *

 

When he regained consciousness his mind was filled with an overwhelming flurry of pictures and impressions and emotions. He didn’t know where they come from, nor what they were about but they made his heart throb and his throat narrow, made him feel like he would never be complete again because they made him feel such a strong  _longing_  –

His vision blacked out for a second and as sudden as it had come, it was over. There was something wet and hot running down his cheeks. He touched it with still shaking fingers and examined the liquid.

 _“Tears?”_  He thought, astonished.  “ _Why am I crying?”_

* * *

 

There were few things he knew.

His name was Robin. He had little but the clothes on his back and the rusty old sword by his side. The tattered old book he found in one of his pockets was barely readable, with torn pages and blurred ink, but he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away.

The little island he woke up on was peaceful and held everything important for him to stay alive. The trees were lush and green and bore rich ripe fruit; a small pond provided clean water. After some exploring he found a temple-like structure in the middle of the island.

It seemed to be ancient. He couldn’t make any sense of the runes on the wall, but they were glowing faintly in different colors of the rainbow. The torches in front of the building were lit and basked everything around them in a mysterious blue light.

He could make this island his home, but his place wasn’t here.

There was something…someone calling out to him. It pulled him in and he ached to follow that call. The feeling was familiar but he just couldn’t remember it, no matter how hard he tried. The memory was hidden securely deep down somewhere.

So there was only one way to uncover it.

* * *

 

_The dragons could all sense it. The first one was Tiki, for she had the closest bonds to Naga._

_Someone had appeared on the divine dragon grounds. It was a familiar warmth in the back of her head and she hoped that it would be the one she thought it was._

_The other two, Nowi and Nah sensed it too, one after another and it didn’t take too long until the message reached the ears of the king of Ylisse._

_And finally Chrom found hope again._

* * *

 

He was surrounded by nothing but water and water and more water. It reflected the color of the sky, sometimes a clear azure tone, other times a deep stormy gray and it was those times he feared for his life.

But there were also times the sea was resting, lying as still as a mirror. Stars were dancing on the velvety blue surface and sky and water seemed to intertwine. He couldn’t tell where the one started and the other one ended.

The color calmed him. It made him feel warm and safe. And loved, by somebody who was very important to him…

* * *

 

_They missed him, apparently by a week ._

_The island was forsaken when Maribelle and her troops reached it. They found traces of human life, a burnt down campfire and faded footsteps leading down to the beach but the person who left them was nowhere to be found._

_She considered to try to catch up to him, but considering how much time must have passed and how tired their mounts were it was probably impossible._

_The noble groaned in frustration. It took Chrom full three days to convince the council to let him dispatch units in order to investigate the situation. Half of them thought of this mission as a waste of time and resources, considering how many problems the kingdom already had to deal with, even after he explained that it might be their tactician. The council wanted Chrom to remarry anyway – preferably to a woman – so Robin coming back would be an unwelcome event in their eyes, despite everything he has done._

_But Chrom needed Robin. He had been only a shadow of himself since Robin has vanished and Maribelle was deeply concerned about her liege. So she must succeed, not only for Chrom and Ylisse, but also for the shepherds._

_They all missed their tactician._

* * *

 

The cut in his shoulder hurt as hell but he only grit his teeth as he dodged another swing of the axe his opponent wielded and countered with a swift strike of his sword in his ribs. The brigand wailed.

He seemed to be a true natural at fighting. Robin’s movements became more and more fluid, as his body was relearning techniques and stances he knew a long time ago. He quickly sidestepped as the other charged at him, howling and sent him barreling down the beach with a well-aimed kick in his abdomen. Somehow he could see the flow of the battle and to some extend even predict what the enemy was going to do…

He stood there, panting with adrenalin rushing through his body and he only relaxed when he was sure that they were all unconscious. With a flick of his wrist he got rid of the blood on his sword and turned to the monk he was protecting while sheathing it.

“There, you’re safe now.”  

“You have my gratitude. Let me heal your wounds in return.”

 The staff gave off a soothing coolness and Robin could literally feel how his flesh was closing up again. It was stinging at first but after the process was done there was nothing left but a slight itchy sensation. The monk prodded at the spot experientially, to feel if the muscles grew together correctly or not. Although his touch was soft Robin tensed up a little.

 “It should be alright now” the monk observed and Robin could hear the sound of shuffling fabric as the he stood up.

“Thank you father” said Robin gratefully and the monk smiled at him kindly.

 

* * *

 

 

His name was Francis. 

  
He explained that he was coming back from a pilgrimage to Chon'sin, to receive blessings from Naga's voice when suddenly he was ambushed. If Robin hadn't come to his rescue he most likely would have been dead. He offered Robin to come with him and stay the night in his village and Robin gladly accepted. Chatting with him was pleasant and Robin asked him to tell more about this country. 

  
The priest's voice grew slightly bitter and detached when he started to talk.

  
These lands are called Roxanne, ruled by a cowardly duke who only cared about his own wellbeing. He fled when about twelve years ago the emperor Wallhart conquered half of Valm. He had been callous and rid the country of all of its wealth as well as a quarter of the population until a blue haired king defeated him in a hard long war and delivered Valm from its tormenter. 

  
Still, the country had been in turmoil ever since. 

  
Three years ago the duke returned with a fierce redhead at his side, with the promise to be a better ruler and to rebuild the country. Of course, his people were still furious. After all he had abandoned them and left him to die when the country needed him the most. Many didn't accept him and riots as well as uprisings were happening all over the country. 

  
They all were pacified and the duke did make an effort to better the situation, but still, resources were rare and nobody could do anything to improve the situation. People died of hunger, even though neighboring countries sent help in form of crops and other food but it wasn't enough.   
Out of despair most abandoned their feeling of morale and became brigands and other similar beings that killed others just to survive. 

  
Francis shook his head in pity as he referred to the ones that were after his life.   
"They too," he said, "were only victims of the circumstances. May Naga bless them all." 

  
His own village was a small village near the coast, far away from any other civilization. They were mostly left alone by the war and the following famish. Most villagers were fishers and the ocean provided them with the required nutriments to stay alive. That's how they survived for so long. 

  
"But...in that case, would it be okay for me to stay? You sound like you need every ounce of food you can get," Robin said but Francis merely shook his head. 

  
"I can't just leave you out there, not after you saved my life," he stated firmly, "besides, you don't know where to go anyway, do you?" 

  
Robin nodded reluctantly and Francis patted his shoulder reassuringly. "There you have it. It's only one night; we won't starve because of that." 

 

* * *

 

The next morning Robin followed Francis' advice and started to make his way to Shin'kai, after he told him that he wanted to cross the ocean. The city laid on the coast of Chon'sin and was the biggest and nearest port he could reach. It would be a five-day’s journey by foot and Francis sent him off with some provisions and his blessings. 

  
As Robin saw the village grow smaller and smaller in the horizon, he wished that Francis could have came with him. 

 

* * *

 

The landscape changed the more he approached Chon'sin. The air grew warmer and the fields less barren. The growing crops gradually changed from wheat to rice and corn. The people also changed. Instead of the rough linen shirts the farmers wore in Roxanna the ones in Chon'sin wore robe-like clothes which were secured with sashes around the waists. They talked different compared to the people of Roxanne, choosing their words with more eloquence as well as talking in a more fluid tone of voice. 

  
It seemed to be a country filled with light and warmth, almost untouched by the war that scarred the lands around it. 

  
Life was blooming in the big city. Laughter filled the air as well as the delicious smell of food and the faint fragrance of various priceless incenses. 

  
There were people everywhere around Robin and he had to be careful to not to get pushed away to far from his goal. The long path leading to the quay was filled with different small stands with merchants praising their products.  

  
They sold almost everything, ranging from small treats to filigree hair ornaments. Robin also spotted someone selling weapons, swords with curved blades whose cold steel glinted deadly in the sunlight. Robin itched to replace his own worn one, but the gold he carried wasn't enough. 

  
Maybe next time, he thought, vaguely wondering if there even would be a next time and begrudgingly tore his gaze from the weapon.  


* * *

 

 

_Maribelle almost crashed into the courtyard of Roxanne when she arrived, panting uncharacteristically and with windswept hair. She immediately demanded an audience with Virion and walked into the audience room without even waiting for approval._

  
_Virion looked alarmed and startled when Maribelle burst into the room without even knocking and slammed her hands down the writing desk he was signing papers on._  
_"Robin is back. Help Ylisse to look for him."_  

_  
Over the course of one day every country on the continent of Valm knew and since they all were indebted to Ylisse in some way, pictures of Robin were distributed in every single of them. But it was already too late._

_  
Unbeknownst to everyone, the tactician already left the continent on a boat with merchants sailing towards Plegia..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boi this is the first time I wrote a fanfiction for years I hope it's not terrible.  
> Also probs to my beta for correcting stuff even though she doesn't like slash.


	2. Chapter 2

Plegia’s air smelled and felt different from anything Robin has ever experienced before. It was dry and hot; the white sun mercilessly burned down onto the earth and made him feel dizzy and mushy. The captain, a big bulky man, laughed as he slapped his back good-naturedly and Robin almost doubled over by the sheer force of it.

“You’ll get used to it,” the man promised. Robin doubted that.

 Hawe was, just like Shin’kai, a big city with many different kinds of people. It was noisier than Shin’kai – if that was even possible – and also more confusing. A lot of small alleys branched out from the main path, leading deeper into the city and Robin knew that if he’d follow them he’d never find his way back.

After Robin had followed the crowd for a while, he found that he really liked this city. It might have been loud and dusty and a little bit too much, but it…felt like he belonged there. It’s a sudden rush of familiarity that he experienced. He couldn’t really piece together what made him feel that way – it could’ve been the way the water in the fountains that were distributed all over the city glistened in the sunlight, or the sound of people bargaining or even the long shadows the buildings casted – and it made him feel free.

As paradox as it sounded, he breathed easier under the searing sky of Plegia. It felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest and Robin wondered if Plegia had been his home once.

 

* * *

 

He knew it was a bad idea to leave for the desert at night, especially without the right preparation. It was dangerously cold out there and one could easily freeze to death. Nighttime was also the prime period for predators to come out and hunt their prey and humans, too, were considered as such.

 

Plus, the raging sand storms added to the peril. Once you were engulfed by one you might never find your way out again.

 

He knew it but still, against his better judgment, ventured out into the vast wasteland where bones were buried under the surface and death could be only seconds away.

 

* * *

  


_They were nothing but ruins. The building, once dark and proud, built from pitch black obsidian that reflected the light, used to stand there, overlooking the desert like an emperor. But now it only served as a reminder of what had been here. Some of the walls were crumbled and laid on the ground, covered in dust and sand. The fine detailing on the façade was now barely visible._

 

_The giant bones, bleached white by the sunlight, too, were only reminding her of what could have been._

_They used to be a promise, used to fill her with hope. Grima had been the only thing she knew in her life and they had been so close, just_ so close –

 

_Their god had been awakened and the complete destruction they yearned for had almost been fulfilled. The Grimleal believed that chaos had been the original form of the world. It should have been restored to it. Grimas’ wish had been their wish, their enlightment, their truth._

_(And maybe, if that goal had been reached, father would have taken a closer look at her.)_

_But her brother –_ Robin – _had ruined everything._

_He took away her father’s attention, he took away her family, he took away her religion and her_ god _, he took away everything that filled her life and in the end he took her sense of purpose, for she couldn’t even take revenge on him now that he has died._

_Once a lifetime ago she could feel the magic thrumming through the walls of this church. Now there was only pitch black emptiness._

_  
_

* * *

The desert was even lonelier than the ocean. Where there was water, there would be life and there had been plenty of both in the ocean. But here, out in the desert, was nothing but the vast sky above him and the white dunes surrounding him.

 

Despite that the pull was stronger out here. He knew that he was getting close to the one thing he had been searching for since he woke up.

 

* * *

_  
_

_It is scary, Chrom thought, that one single person could have so much_ power _over him. He had heard stories from other people, stories about people going mad out of love, people killing for the one person and going to war to protect them. He remembered reading that loving someone meant that one couldn’t live without that person. They would become as important as the oxygen one breathes._

_He didn’t understand back then. He loved his sisters dearly and he would have gladly fought a whole country just to get them back but when he asked Em she only laughed and said that that was a different kind of love. She told him he would understand when he was older._

_But he didn’t until he met Robin._

_Robin was like a drug. When he was near him Chrom felt like he was invincible. And when he wasn’t, he felt like dying._

_His thoughts almost exclusively centered around Robin._

_Robin was the light in his life. He was always there when Chrom felt like giving up and helped him. Robin was his inspiration and his motivation to keep going. So even if everyone else had given up their hope of Robin being alive, he couldn’t._

_He missed him so much that every time he thought about him he felt physical pain._

_The past three years left Chrom in a daze. He felt like he saw everything from behind a glass panel. Nothing could reach to him. He had been unable to do anything but now that there was real hope that Robin could be still alive –_

_He would find him. It’s a promise._

* * *

__

  


It was hot, too hot, _toohot!_

He should have taken a lot more time to prepare for this.

He needed water. Just plain water. It’s been too long since he had been drinking anything. And he needed it fast. His clothes were feeling hot and stuffy and he had tried to take them off, but the scorching sun almost immediately burned his pale skin. The red patches hurt like hell so he had to at least put his coat back on for coverage.

 

He had lost his orientation days ago and there was no one who could guide him, not in a place like this.

 

He felt dizzy and his head hurt to the point where he almost couldn’t think anymore. He was sure he would throw up any moment and there still was nothing but the sky and the sand and the haunting white bones that were glaring at him mockingly – and the world turned.

 

The bones… he knew them. They unleashed feelings in Robin that he couldn’t understand, conflicting feelings that shouldn’t be there. They filed him with unbelievable dread and a feeling of bitter defeat, but also…excitement.

 

Suddenly he felt the need to be close to them, to reunite with them, to touch the beautifully curved horns, to seek shelter under the shadow the majestic skull casted. His headache worsened in that moment and foreign voices filled his head. He sank into the sand, filled with despair.

 

He should have known better than this but now it was too late. He didn’t want to die here. He tried to get up, but every single muscle in his body felt so sore and he needed water but he couldn’t move and he felt hot and cold at the same time.

 

There was the sky again, vast and blue, without a single cloud in sight. There was no hope of rain.

 

_But I need to see … … again…_

 

* * *

 

_The king eyes were cold and distant, as he stared at the plegian kneeling in front of his throne. At his sides stood the princess, once lively and bright, but now demure and grave. The war against Grima and its aftermath forced her to grow up too quickly, forced her to take the place that used to be her sisters._

_The plegian had been there when the exalt was executed. He had seen her. The resemblance between the princess and her was striking._

_The other side, once reserved for his tactician was empty._

_“Stand up” the princess announced. “You may now speak to the king.”_

_“Milady” the envoy said before standing up and addressing the king._

_“I am here to deliver an urgent message from King Aaron of Plegia to the Exalt Chrom, king of Ylisse. His majesty has received rumors about sightings of the Grimleal Aversa and requests help with identifying and – if the rumors turn out to be true – capturing her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello can you guys believe that I've actually updated because I can't :^)  
> I could say that I'm sorry but that would be a LIE // nah I actually am  
> There had been just a lot going on in my life and also I really didn't like my writing style but I already started like this so I guess I have to see this through  
> Please forgive me for inaccuracies the last time I played awakening was like 8 months ago and I neither did any research nor proofreaded this :^)
> 
> Also holy- thanks for all the likes and bookmarks! I did NOT think that that many people would like this


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